THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The European Union has unveiled a sweeping security strategy for the strategically vital Black Sea aimed at countering Russian threats in the region.
Announced on Wednesday, the strategy will see the creation of a “Black Sea Maritime Security Hub” to serve as Europe’s early-warning center in the region. According to the document, it will provide “situational awareness and information sharing on the Black Sea, real-time monitoring from space to seabed, and early warning of potential threats and malicious activities.”
The center will be tasked with monitoring critical maritime infrastructure, including submarine cables, offshore installations and gas and wind energy operations off the EU shores in the Black Sea, the strategic plan says. Hybrid warfare, including the apparent sabotage of ocean-based infrastructure, has been at the forefront of many Western leaders’ minds in recent years after a series of suspicious incidents in the Baltic Sea related to Chinese and Russian vessels.
Among the other priorities outlined in the strategy are mine clearance, protection of commercial shipping routes, and means to deal with Russia’s “shadow fleet” of clandestinely operating and often decrepit oil tankers that Moscow uses to circumvent Western sanctions, a strategy also employed by North Korea.
At a press conference revealing the new strategy, Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, suggested the center could serve to monitor any eventual ceasefire or peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
Details remain to be worked out on where exactly such a hub would be located and how the proposal will be realized. The policy paper promises that specific needs and “present operational options” will be worked out by the end of summer.
The initiative lacks a specific budget line and will instead rely on existing EU programs, including the €150 billion ($159 billion) SAFE initiative for defense spending. The groundbreaking plan, aimed at mobilizing cheap loans to drastically increase European defense spending, received the final green light from the EU member states a day before the Black Sea strategy was released.
Besides the flagship Security Hub, the strategy promises major upgrades to regional infrastructure with an eye to military mobility. Included in the outline is the promise for significant work on ports, roads, railways and airports around the Black Sea to enable faster movement of military equipment.
“These updates will help to ensure troops can be where they are needed, when they are needed,” Kallas said, adding that the changes would reinforce NATO deterrence. The EU also plans tighter screening of foreign ownership in strategic facilities, particularly ports. Analysts have been worried about Chinese investment in strategic European ports, ostensibly as part of Beijing’s ambitious “Belt and Road” global infrastructure initiative.
Simultaneously, the EU will work to deepen its ties with non-EU partners Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan, including enhancing “regional cooperation on connectivity,” according to a European Commission website on the project.
Security aspects are a prominent pillar in the new Black Sea strategy, which otherwise aims to foster economic growth and ensure environmental protection.
Linus Höller is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. He covers international security and military developments across the continent. Linus holds a degree in journalism, political science and international studies, and is currently pursuing a master’s in nonproliferation and terrorism studies.
